"Wait where are you going?"
"Thanks for keeping me company. But I have to go."
"Where? Sasamahan kita."
"No need." I assured him. "Thanks again." sabay alis ko sa lugar na iyon.
Hinanap ko si Devour. Kung saan-saan na ako nagpunta ngunit hindi ko siya makita. Pinuntahan ko ang pwesto kung saan kami huling nagkita ng mga kasamahan ko kanina pero bigo akong makita siya. Nang wala akong napala ay nilisan ko na ang lugar na iyon, ang lugar kung saan ginanap ang pagdiriwang at naglakad palayo ng mag-isa. Hindi ko na alam kung nasaan ako. Lakad lang ako ng lakad paalis sa lugar na iyon. Nang makaramdam ng hapo at antok ay naghanap ako ng pwestong matutulugan at natulog na ako.
*****
Kinaumagahan, nagising ako sa ingay sa paligid ko. I opened my eyes and saw two midgets or two little giants playing with my face. I remembered Banak and Nakba with those two. So cute and adorable. They can't speak but they can produce adorable sounds. The two said things I don't understand. Napakamot na lang ako ng ulo sa kanila.
Their cute little hands grabbed my hand and guided me somewhere I don't know. Napunta kami sa isang batis. Sa dulo nun ay nakatayo si Devour, hinihintay kami. Mabilis na lumapit ang dalawa sa kaniya. Lumuhod siya at nakipaglaro siya sa mga ito. Matapos iyon ay tumayo siya at tumingin sa akin. Tinakbo ko ang distansiya naming dalawa at sinunggaban ko siya ng halik na tinugunan naman niya. Masayang nag-ingay ang dalawang cute na nilalang sa paligid namin.
"I hate you! You can't just leave me like that!" sermon ko sa kaniya ng maputol ang halikan namin.
"I'm a monster, Tamara... I want you to loathe me."
"Don't say that! You're not a monster! You're just you."
"I'm still a monster, Tamara. And what you saw last night in that play... it's true."
"I don't care if it's true or not... what matters to me now is you're here with me." I claimed his lips for the second time around and he kissed me back. Nang kumalas kaming dalawa sa halik, doon lang namin napansin na wala na yung dalawang cute na midgets.
Devour started to removed my cloak, then gently pulled the hem of my dress. I unbuttoned his black long sleeve polo and threw it on the ground. He lifted my dress and undressed me. All was left is my black tube and my black fitted skirt which is above the knee, that covers my naked body. He pulled me closer and kissed me. I kissed him back with the same intensity he's giving me. I moved slowly towards the lake, not breaking the kiss, and drawn him to me.
Naramdaman ko ang malamig na tubig ng sapa. Ngunit hindi ko na 'yon masyadong pinansin pa dahil busy ako sa paghalik kay Devour. Unti-unti akong umupo nang hindi pa rin pinuputol ang halik sa pagitan naming dalawa. Napaupo rin siya kaya naman nailingkis ko ang aking mga hita sa kaniyang bewang. Lumubog kami sa tubig ng hindi pinuputol ang halik. We broke the kiss when we reached out the surface.
"Who's that man?" tanong niya agad once na naging stable na ang paghinga naming dalawa.
"You mean Bry?"
"I don't want to see you with that man again. You hear me, Tamara?" he spoke with an authoritarian tone.
"And I don't want to see you with other girls as well. You hear me Devour?" may halong banta na wika ko sa kaniya.
He snarled. "You threw her to me."
I chuckled in his behavior. "She's attracted to you, you know?" Bigla kong naalala ang pagngiti at panaka-nakang pagtingin ng babaeng 'yon kay Devour.
His face became stern and serious. "But I'm not attracted to her."
Seeing that woman with another man flashed inside my head. "Kaya pala iniwan mo siya dun sa festival."
"Right after you bid goodbye and walk away." What? All those time, hindi na pala sila magkasamang dalawa? Kung gano'n, saan siya nagpunta?
"Did you follow me?" I already know the answer but I'm still curious to know.
"Yes. I did." Pagkasabi niyang 'yon, hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ba ako or maiinis ako sa kaniya. Then I chose the latter.
"Bakit hindi mo ako pinuntahan?! Because I'm with him?!"
"Yes." Kaasar 'tong lalaki na 'to! Ang tipid sumagot.
"He knows that I'm not from here." Should I be worried about it?
"It's no doubt." Ha? Ano raw?
Anyways. "Are you mad that I'm with him last night?"
"No." Bakit kaya? Hindi ba siya nagselos nang makitang may kasama akong iba?
Imbis na matuwa na hindi siya galit, eh lalo lang akong nainis sa naging sagot niya. "Why?"
"He's a good man..." his jaw tightened. "He's good for you."
I laughed awkwardly. "What do you mean? Believe me, there's nothing going on between me and that man. You have to trust me."
"I trust you Tamara."
"Then what's wrong? What's bothering you? Tell me." I know I'm getting the idea of what he's talking about, but I need confirmation from him.
Nag-alangan pa siyang sabihin nung una pero nagpumilit akong sabihin niya kung ano man ang nasa isip niya. "I will mate you to him once we break our bond." No freaking way!
"No! Don't you dare do that Devour!" Aalis na sana ako sa kandungan niya nang pigilan niya akong umalis.
"Listen, Tamara." I felt him stared into my eyes but I can't find strength to look at him. "I can't make you happy..." I cut him off.
"I don't want you to make me happy! Relationship is not all about happiness. There will be trials and obstacles along the way but we need to work hand in hand to surpass them. Did you get my point, Devour?" Tears flowed endlessly. He wiped my tears away using his fingers.
"I know that Tamara, but come to think of it. Once you got mated to him, you didn't have to wake up everyday in my boring mansion. You will not have those corpses as your maid and you will be happy with him."
"That's enough Devour! I don't want to hear any of it!"
"I'm a monster, Tamara. I killed thousands of people already. I filled their minds with brutality, plant their brains with endless nightmares, eat their souls and slowly tortures and kill them in their sleep. You can loathe me forever. I will accept that, Tamara."
"Don't do this Devour! Don't go this way."
"A beauty like you deserves a better man... better than a beast like me." I shook my head and continued crying. "Don't settle for less, Tamara. You deserves more."
"How could you say that?! You're not less, Devour! Don't degrade yourself!" He was silent. Biglang tumahimik ang paligid at tanging mga hikbi ko lang ang aming naririnig.
"I'm sick of loving you, Tamara." walang emosyon na sabi niya.
"No you're not!" asik ko.
"I'm sick of seeing and hearing your complains, your insults about my mansion, your aggressive attitude, your smiles, your..." I cut him off with a kiss.
Wala na akong pakialam kung magmukha akong desperada sa ginawa ko. Basta, ayoko siyang mawala sa piling ko. I gave him a passionate kiss, but sadly, he didn't response back. Out of disappointment and pain, I broke the kiss and abruptly moved away from him. I got up at umalis sa lugar na iyon.
ŞİMDİ OKUDUĞUN
Deep Slumber
FantastikBalobos, a group of dreamer abductors and dream intruders kidnapped a graduating student named Tamara Castillio, in the middle of her lucid dreaming. She was held captive and met other female lucid dreamers who are also abducted like her. Yearning f...
